The major goals of the Multipurpose Arthritis and Musculoskeletal Diseases Center (MAMDC) at UCSF are: (i) to conduct basic research in areas related to the etiology and pathogenesis of arthritis and musculoskeletal diseases (A&MDs), (ii) to conduct research regarding the epidemiology of A&MDs, (iii) to develop and evaluated new methods for the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of A&MDs, (iv) to train biomedical scientists, physicians, and other health professionals whose work bears on the problems of patients, physicians, and other health educational programs in the field of A&MDs for physicians, for allied health professionals, and for patients, and (vi) to work with local, and state and national organizations for the purpose of advancing knowledge of A&MDs and promoting care of patients with these diseases. Patient care is not direct objective of the MAMDC, but the activities of the MAMDC are conducted in centers where patient care is a primary concern and fundamental goal of the institutions. To meet these objectives, comprehensive programs have been developed at the three major teaching hospitals of the University: Moffitt-Long, the San Francisco Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center, and the San Francisco General Hospital. Each of these brings unique resources to the MAMDC. The Center has functioned in a manner that utilizes each and, by fostering interaction among them, has developed programs that could not have succeeded at a single institution. The Biomedical Research Program of the MAMDC at UCSF encompasses a broad range of basic research activities that are fully funded from other sources. This has proved a fertile ground for the success of D&F studies and for the training of young investigators. Six D&F studies are proposed as part of this project: four for junior investigators, one for an investigator in another area to begin research related to A&MDs and one for an established investigator to help begin a new area of research. The Education, Epidemiology, and Health Services Research Component has developed a strong program focused on the problems of patients with A&MDs. Six projects and one Core Unit are proposed as part of this project for the collection and maintenance of data regarding a local cohort of patients with RA and regarding controls.